Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

An apostille is a certificate issued by a designated government authority that verifies the authenticity of a public official’s signature and seal on a document.

It is used when documents are being presented in a country that is a member of the Hague Conference on Private International Law and party to the Hague Apostille Convention.

An apostille makes your document legally recognized in another participating country without further authentication.

The difference depends on the destination country.

• Apostille: Used for countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.
• Legalization: Required for countries that are not part of the Convention.

Legalization typically involves:

1. State certification
2. U.S. Department of State authentication (if required)
3. Embassy or consulate legalization

Express Apostille Services determines the correct process before submission to prevent delays or rejection.

For a complimentary review of your documents, you can request a quote for services here. We will qualify your documents for authentication and recommend the best path forward based on the country you’ll be using your documents in.

We process a wide range of documents, including, but not limited to:

• Personal Documents
  • Affidavit
  • Application
  • Banks Statement
  • Benefit Verification
  • Birth Certificate
  • Death Certificate
  • Divorce Certificate
  • Marriage Certificate
  • Translation Certification
  • Criminal History Report
  • Driver’s License
  • Employment Letter
  • Estate Document – Deed/Will/Trust
  • FBI Background Check
  • Identification Card
  • Letter of Authorization
  • Parental Consent Letter
  • Passport
  • Petition for Name Change
  • Power of Attorney
  • Professional License
  • Social Security Card
  • SSA Benefit Verification
  • State ID
  • Teaching Certificate
  • Translation
  • Utility Statement
  • Vehicle Title
• Corporate Documents
  • Affidavit
  • Amendments/Restatements
  • Annual Report
  • Articles of Association/Organization
  • Authorized Distributor Letter
  • Board Resolutions
  • Business Affidavit
  • Bylaws
  • Certificate of Free Sale
  • Certificate of Good Standing Certificate of Incorporation
  • Certificate of Incumbency
  • Certificate of Origin
  • Certification of Formation
  • ISO Certificate
  • Limited Partnership Agreement
  • Meeting Minutes
  • Operating Agreement
  • Power of Attorney
  • Registered Entity Certificate
  • Stock Certificate
  • Tax Residency Form 6166
• Federal Documents
  • Archive Records
  • Basic Permit
  • Benefit Verification
  • Certificate of Foreign Government
  • Certificate of Naturalization
  • Consular Report of Birth Abroad
  • DD214 Discharge Report
  • FBI Background Check
  • FDA Document
  • Food and Tobacco
  • Petition for Name Change
  • Social Security Card
  • SSA Benefit Verification
  • Tax Residency Form 6166
  • USA Document
• Education Documents
  • Degree Verification
  • Diploma
  • Enrollment Verification
  • Teaching Certificate
  • Transcript

If you’re unsure whether your document qualifies, contact us for review.

It depends on the document type.

• Vital records (birth, marriage, death certificates) typically must be certified copies issued by the appropriate state authority.
• Corporate documents may need to be state-issued or properly notarized.
• Personal documents often require notarization before apostille.

We review documents before submission to ensure they meet requirements.

For a complimentary qualification of your documents, please submit a request for quote here.

• The issuing state
• Whether federal authentication is required
• Embassy processing timelines (for legalization)

We provide estimated timelines before beginning service. Processing scans of documents takes up to 2 business days. Processing original documents can take anywhere from 1 to 27 business days depending on the competent authority.

We will always process in the fastest approach possible within reason of expedition fees.

Rejections typically occur due to:

• Improper notarization
• Incorrect document format
• Expired or outdated certificates
• Submission to the wrong authority

Our document qualification process significantly reduces the risk of rejection by reviewing documents before submission.

If your document is rejected by a competent authority due to any EAS processing issue, out team will reprocess at no cost to you.

At this time, we do not provide services to obtain person documents on your behalf. You may be able to use a service like Vitalchek.com and have your records mailed directly to our offices. Please obtain a quote for services first, so you can obtain the address for the correct regional office.

For any document that requires a signature, we offer remote online notarizations and can subsequently obtain the apostille within a business day. The fee is $50 per signatory and the session typically takes 15 minutes. All you need is your completed but unsigned document, and a valid government issued photo-ID to upload to our notarization platform. Just place your order online here, and add a Remote Online Notarization to your order. You’ll receive a link to schedule your signing session upon submitting your order.

If you do not have the requirement to process your original document, you can place your order online here. If you’re not sure, you can request a free review of your documents here.

• Nationwide document authentication
• Expertise in both apostille and legalization
• Corporate and high-volume document experience
• Complimentary pre-submission document review
• Clear communication and transparent pricing

We make international document authentication simple, accurate, and efficient.

If you have additional questions, contact Express Apostille Services today. Our team is ready to help!